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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25732891">Catfish</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vancova/pseuds/Vancova'>Vancova</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Falling In Love, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Mermaid!Mao Mao, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sirens, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:33:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25732891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vancova/pseuds/Vancova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mao Mao is a mermaid that's lived his life in the sea. A sea witch told him the love of his life will be a mortal Badger with one eye. Mao Mao begins swimming in the forbidden waters where mortals fish. He gets caught by a group of fisherman who sell him to a mystic restaurant where they show off mythical creatures. </p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops, a citizen of the town called pure heart enters the mythical restaurant with his friends, the thicket thieves. They aren't actually thieves, it's just the name their gang goes by. Badgerclops notices the new addition to the restaurant, a giant tank containing one mermaid. Mermaids are said to be the sirens of the sea with seductive voices and luring songs. The only downside is that this mermaid doesn't sing.</p><p> </p><p>That is, until he spots Badgerclops in the crowd.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Badgerclops/Mao Mao Mao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Fish out of Water</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 1: fish out of water</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao swims to the far end of the castle. He, and all merfolk, live in the hidden city Atlantis. The castle is surrounded by sunken ships. His family prey on mortals from time to time. But Mao Mao has never eaten or killed a mortal. Just fish. He thought it was cruel to eat people who probably had a family to get back too. But his ideals didn't stop his family. They would sing their song, luring ships into treacherous waters. The sailors would fall into the sea only to be ripped to shreds. Mao Mao grimaces at the thought. He swims over to an old tunnel where a sea witch is said to live.</p><p> </p><p>He was tired of his boring life. Surely the sea witch could tell him if a new path awaits him?</p><p> </p><p>"Hello?" He calls out into the cavern. "Is anyone here?"</p><p> </p><p>"Who's askin'?" He spins around to see a camilion with worn out scales on her tail.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you the sea witch Camille?" He asks curiously.</p><p> </p><p>"I am. What are you doing in my home?! Get out of here! Honey, show this stranger to the door!" Another mermaid appears behind Mao Mao and gives him a gentle shove.</p><p> </p><p>"W-Wait! I need your help!"</p><p> </p><p>"Help?! With what?" Camille asks.</p><p> </p><p>"I want to change my life, can you tell me if there is a new path I could venture on?"</p><p> </p><p>Camille thinks for a moment. "Hmm alright, I'll help you. But don't be sending any other mermaids my way."</p><p> </p><p>"I won't! I promise." Mao Mao happily follows the sea witch deeper into her cave. He swims over to the side and watches as she gazes into a mirror. She hums and moves her hands around. Mao Mao thought she was just messing with him until the mirror glowed. "Wow." He moves a bit closer.</p><p> </p><p>"You have only one path, one of love with your soulmate."</p><p> </p><p>"Love?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, with...a mortal badger who has one eye…" She hums some more and the mirror shows an image of the badger.</p><p> </p><p>"Is he, the one I'm fated to be with?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, but to find him you'll have to swim into the forbidden waters and you'll face all sorts of dangers." Camille says as she looks at the feline. "Do you want to pursue this path?"</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao thinks for a moment. He's never thought about finding love but if he has the opportunity for happiness, he should take it right? "Yes. I'll go to the forbidden waters and look for my soulmate!" He says with determination.</p><p> </p><p>"Good. Now begone!" She pushes him out the exit and Mao Mao swims out into the open waters. "Hmm, you have a long journey ahead of you."</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao has been swimming for days, maybe a week. He's already ventured into the forbidden waters. But there's been no sign of his soulmate. He swims up into the surface of the ocean and takes a deep breath. Mao Mao sings in a soft but loud tone, hoping his future partner would hear him. He's aware of how dangerous it is to sing by himself, nonetheless in the forbidden waters. But he had to try. He didn't know what else to do?</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao stops singing and looks behind him. There's a fishing boat a little ways out. Maybe his lover is a fisherman? Surely he had to be, right? Mao Mao swims over to the boat, cautiously observing the sailors. So far none look like the badger he's searching for. He keeps swimming around the boat until he stops suddenly.</p><p> </p><p>He can't move.</p><p> </p><p>He looks down to see his tail trapped in a fishing net. Next thing he knows, he's pulled out of the water with a bunch of sailors staring at him in awe.</p><p> </p><p>"It's a mermaid!"</p><p> </p><p>"We'll make a fortune!"</p><p> </p><p>"Quickly! Put it in the cooler!" They pull Mao Mao onto the boat. He struggles to get free but the sailors hold him down as one of them brings over a large cooler filled with water. They lift Mao Mao up and toss him into the box, slamming the lid down and locking it. The cooler was small and Mao Mao could hardly move. He tries to remain calm as the ship sails towards the docking bays.</p><p> </p><p>When they finally arrive the sailors carry the cooler down the street and into a back alley. They knock on a metal door and wait for a minute.</p><p> </p><p>"What is it?" Rufus asks as he steps outside.</p><p> </p><p>"It's as I told you in the text message. We caught a mermaid!" The captain says with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh? Let's see it then."</p><p> </p><p>"You might wanna put it in that fish tank of yours first. It's a feisty little thing." Rufus nods and signals the crew to follow him inside. His restaurant was currently closed but would be opening later in the day.</p><p> </p><p>"Reggie grab a ladder." The raccoon heads to their storage room and returns with a ladder. He sets it up against the tank and one of the sailors carries the cooler to the top of the tank. He looks down at all the fish swimming inside before opening the lid and dumping the contents in. "Beautiful." Rufus breaths as he stares at the feline. Mao Mao swims around in the tank, looking for an exit. He soon realizes that there's no way out. "I'll buy this mermaid, he'll bring in a lot of customers." Rufus pays the sailors and guides them out the door.</p><p> </p><p>It was time to open up his mystical restaurant.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Badgerclops</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2: Badgerclops</p><p> </p><p>It's been about three days and business was booming. His mermaid did not sing but the feline's beauty was enough to draw in customers. Rufus smiles wickedly as he counts the cash in his paws.</p><p> </p><p>"My my, this is more than yesterday." He grins and looks over at Reggie. "Did you feed our little fish?"</p><p> </p><p>"I threw in some fish food but he keeps eating the fish that's in the tank."</p><p> </p><p>"That's fine, we'll have to buy some more fish then." Rufus looks over to Mao Mao who was messing with the chains on his tail. Yes chains. The day Rufus bought Mao Mao, the fish tried to jump out of the tank. So he had to install a chain at the bottom of the tank to keep the mermaid from swimming to the top. "Let's close up for tonight." Reggie nods and they leave the lobby.</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao swims to the edge of the glass and frowns. Another day has gone by and he still hasn't found his soulmate. He sighs and yanks on the chains around his wrists.</p><p> </p><p>He's trapped.</p><p> </p><p>How is he supposed to escape? He'll never find his future partner now. Mao Mao sobs and curls up into a ball. Is this his fate? To be put on display for mortals? If only he could meet his soulmate. Just once.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops wakes up to a beautiful morning. He yawns as he checks his phone for messages. His friends were asking if he'll make it to meet them for lunch. Badgerclops sighs as he replies yes. The badger was tired of hanging out with his friends. He wanted a boyfriend. Someone he can chat with all day and cuddle with. Someone who'll laugh at his jokes or appreciate his artworks.</p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops gets up and takes a shower before getting dressed. He heads downstairs and into the kitchen to make breakfast. Nothing like hot pancakes to start the day. He hums to himself as he mixes the pancake batter. Badgerclops couldn't help but think about how great it would be to have someone to share breakfast with. He'll have to up his dating game. Maybe join one of those online dating websites? He shrugs and pours the batter into the hot pan. He waits a few minutes before flipping the cake. Once it was cooked on both sides, Badgerclops plops it down on a plate and pours maple syrup over it. He grabs a fork and carries his plate into the living room. Badgerclops owns a table, but when you live alone, you tend to eat with the tv. He takes a seat on the couch and turns on the tv, the weather man appears on screen to give the daily forecast.</p><p> </p><p>"Today will be in the 60's with clear blue skies." He says and Badgerclops takes a bite of his pancake. "Later on tonight we'll drop down to 55 degrees as fall begins to settle in."</p><p> </p><p>"Noice." He smiles, Badgerclops was more of a fall and spring kind of person. "Maybe I should check out those dating sites?" He swallows the last of his pancake and pulls out his phone. Badgerclops browses a few websites, but he was too nervous to make an account. "Agh, come on dude! You've got this!" He takes a deep breath before clicking on the link to a website and starts making an account. After filling out the basics of his profile Badgerclops reads the questions. "Partner's gender? Male obviously." He clicks on the male box. "What are you looking for in a partner?" He thinks for a moment. "Hmm, cute and strong? Maybe a little bit funny but I wanna be the funny guy in our relationship." He laughs a bit as he types in his answer, having fun while filling out the forms. "Oh! He's gotta be sweet but abrasive, like a tsundere. Haha that's kinda cute." He blushes as he thinks of what his partner would be like. The guy wouldn't be afraid to stand up for him and protect him. He'd come off as a tough guy but is actually really sweet on the inside. Badgerclops couldn't help but giggle. "What's important to you in a relationship?" He looks through the options and clicks on loyalty. "It'd suck if he didn't have my back."</p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops finishes the rest of the questions and submits his responses. The page loads for a bit before showing a list of possible candidates.</p><p> </p><p>"Wow, that's a lot more than what I was expecting." He looks at the location of the candidates before frowning. Most of the guys on the list lived out of town. Badgerclops wasn't too thrilled about long distance relationships. "Guess I'll try the guys nearby." He scrolls through the list and debates on sending one of them a message. "Agh! I'll do it later!" He shuts off his phone and puts it in his pocket. He was too nervous.</p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops sighs and picks up his empty plate before placing it in the sink. He'll do dishes later...eventually. his phone buzzes and Badgerclops panics. Could it be someone from the dating site?! He takes out his phone and looks at the screen with both relief and disappointment. It was from his friends. Apparently Tiny Toad said they were gonna go meet at the restaurant early.</p><p> </p><p>"Guess I'll head out then." He opens the door and takes his house keys before leaving.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops arrives at the mystic restaurant and greets his friends. Ratracer gives him a pat on the back before they venture deeper into the restaurant. There were all sorts of mythical creatures behind glass. There was even a mini dragon on the shelf.</p><p> </p><p>"Did ya hear boys?" Tiny Toad asks. "There's been a new addition to this place."</p><p> </p><p>"Like what?" Badgerclops asks.</p><p> </p><p>"A living, breathing, mermaid!" He says excitedly. He was a nerd for mythical creatures. "I heard that this one doesn't sing which is a downside but I can't wait to get a look at its scales. They say a mermaid's scales are as smooth as silk."</p><p> </p><p>"That's...interesting." Badgerclops looks off to the side, he wasn't too thrilled about seeing a mermaid that doesn't sing.</p><p> </p><p>"Hello, will you four be dining together?" The waitress asks. They nod and she grabs four menus. "Follow me please."</p><p> </p><p>"Can we get a see near that mermaid?" Tiny Toad asks. The waitress nods and leads them into a spacious room with other guests. The waitress sets their menus on a table and takes their order for beverages. Most of the customers were crowded around the fish tank. Some were singing little songs and others would just tap the glass. "Come on boys, let's get a closer look." The group approached the fish tank and stared in awe. "A real mermaid. He's beautiful." Tiny Toad says as he wipes a tear from his eye.</p><p> </p><p>Badgerclops looks at the mermaid who had his back to the crowd. The beautiful red scales of his tail were eye catching. He, like everyone else, wanted the mermaid's attention. Badgerclops taps on the glass a few times before heading back to their table. He picks up a menu and looks for something to order. Everything looks good but the prices were a bit high.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao sighs as he tries to ignore the crowd behind him. They were so loud and annoying. Tapping on the glass and singing to him. He knows they want him to sing but he won't give them that satisfaction. He grows bored and decides to face the crowd of customers. Maybe he'll find his soulmate in the crowd? He has to try.</p><p> </p><p>Green eyes gaze at each of the customers but he finds no one to match the image of his soulmate. He's about to give up when suddenly, in the back of the crowd, Mao Mao spots a badger sitting at a table.</p><p> </p><p>'Its him! I found him!' Mao Mao thought to himself. He smiles for the first time in weeks. Mao Mao tries to swim a little bit higher to get a better view of his soulmate but the chains were restricting his movements. 'How am I going to get his attention?' Mao Mao thinks for a moment before deciding to do the only thing he knows how to do.</p><p> </p><p>Sing.</p><p> </p><p>He takes a deep breath and starts to sing a song his family uses to lure sailors off their boats. The crowd cheers but soon falls silent to listen. He has everyone's attention as they fall for his hypnotic voice. Mao Mao looks over at the badger and their eyes meet. Mao Mao feels his heart skip a beat as he sings louder, not taking his eyes off the badger.</p><p> </p><p>'I don't understand? Why isn't he coming closer?' Mao Mao furrowed his brows in frustration. Everyone else was practically up against the glass but the badger is just sitting in the back.</p><p> </p><p>Mao Mao stops singing and puts his paw on the glass sadly.</p><p> </p><p>'At least, I've finally found you.'</p>
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